Judge declares mistrial in Karen Read murder trial
The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office says it plans to retry the case.
Following days of deliberations and multiple notes from the deadlocked jury, Judge Beverly Cannone has declared a …
Judge declares mistrial in Karen Read murder trial
The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office says it plans to retry the case.
Following days of deliberations and multiple notes from the deadlocked jury, Judge Beverly Cannone has declared a mistrial in the high-profile and often contentious Karen Read murder trial.
The jury was tasked with determining whether Read, 44, drunkenly and intentionally backed her SUV into her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, on a snowy night in Canton two years ago. Lawyers for the Mansfield woman had alleged she was framed in a coverup.
A unanimous jury is needed for any conviction or acquittal, and jurors ultimately failed to reach a consensus, despite Cannone’s last-ditch effort Monday morning to break the deadlock using the so-called “dynamite charge.”
“Despite our rigorous efforts, we continue to find ourselves at an impasse. Our perspectives on the evidence are starkly divided,” the jury foreperson wrote in a note to Cannone around 2:30 p.m.
Trooper Michael Proctor relieved of duties by State Police after Karen Read mistrial
Photos & videos: The scene after the judge declared a mistrial in Karen Read’s murder trial
Karen Read murder trial: Are you surprised jurors couldn’t reach a decision?
While some jurors believed prosecutors met their burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, others felt the evidence fell short, according to the note.
“The deep division is not due to a lack of effort or diligence, but rather a sincere adherence to our individual principles and moral convictions,” the foreperson wrote. “To continue to deliberate would be futile and only serve to force us to compromise these deeply held beliefs.”
Following Cannone’s declaration of a mistrial, O’Keefe’s mother sat with her head hung, quietly wiping away tears. As the courtroom emptied out, Read bounded over to hug her parents and brother.
In a brief statement, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said it intends to retry the..
